


Sleepless Nights

by A_Cloudy_Day_In_AU_Hell, AngelCakeszee, attic_gremlin, InnerGlow11, Lefryingpanofdoom, moonsamurai, Usagisama68



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Blood, Brotherly Bonding, Dark Thoughts, Drowning, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Harassment, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Nightmares, Self-Destructive Behavior, Violence, a lot of these are kinda just just in case things, can never be too careful, ghirahim and cia tagged more as a warning for those that don't like them than anything else
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-23
Packaged: 2021-03-26 23:42:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30113856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Cloudy_Day_In_AU_Hell/pseuds/A_Cloudy_Day_In_AU_Hell, https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelCakeszee/pseuds/AngelCakeszee, https://archiveofourown.org/users/attic_gremlin/pseuds/attic_gremlin, https://archiveofourown.org/users/InnerGlow11/pseuds/InnerGlow11, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lefryingpanofdoom/pseuds/Lefryingpanofdoom, https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonsamurai/pseuds/moonsamurai, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Usagisama68/pseuds/Usagisama68
Summary: Six times Sky helped his companions through a nightmare and one time someone helped him.A birthday collab for Teaj!Chapter 1: GlowChapter 2: AtticChapter 3: AngelChapter 4: Usagi
Relationships: Legend & Sky (Linked Universe), Sky & Time (Linked Universe), Sky & Twilight (Linked Universe), Sky & Warriors (Linked Universe), Sky & Wild (Linked Universe), Sky & Wind (Linked Universe)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 87





	1. Hands Outstretched

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Teaj](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Teaj/gifts).



> Posted on here late! Her birthday was the 5th, but don't worry! We gave it to her on her b-day ...at least, we gave her the first chapter on her b-day XD The rest we gave her one day at a time until she had them all, and now we're finally getting around to actually posting it!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was made by Glow. Teaj is our DM for our Zelda dnd game, and she's been great, so we decided to do a little something for her bday. While writing mine I never really felt like anything clicked and so I struggled with it, but I still feel like, thanks to some critique from the others, that it actually turned out alright in the end. Hope you enjoy. ^^

He could hear them yelling, screaming for him. His feet hurt from running, but he couldn’t stop, wouldn’t stop. He has to get to them. But their cries were getting further and further, no matter how fast he runs. They were being taken away again and there was absolutely _nothing_ he could do about it.

It’s there again, the wall of twilight. All it takes is a touch, and he’s sucked into it, back into that terrifying vision realm the light spirit had shown him. They’re all standing there, the kids and Ilia, eyes pearl white and knives glinting in their hands. He finds a knife in his own hand as they raise their own, vicious smiles on their faces.

“You failed us.”

“You couldn’t save us.”

“We were right there.”

“Looks like you couldn’t be the hero this time.”

“Always somehow letting us down.”

Their words hurt more than their blades, as they bring their knives down. And he refuses to bring up his own blade. Even now, he can’t bring himself to hurt them.

“Too cowardly to even defend yourself?”

“You don’t deserve to be called courageous.”

Suddenly, the Master Sword is there, sticking out of the ground in front of him. Maybe he can drive away the darkness without hurting them-

Yet as he touches it, his hand burns and he jerks away.

“You’re not worthy to hold it anymore.”

“You’re no _hero_.”

“The goddesses made a mistake.”

They suddenly grab him, steadily shaking him harder and harder as they chant, “Twilight, Twilight, Twilight, Twi, Twi, Link, Link, _Link_!”

“Link!”

He jerks away from the hands grabbing him, shaking him, and looks at whoever it was, hand on the hilt of his blade. There’s a concerned face there, a familiar indigo sword hilt poking up from his back and a white cloth draped over him like a cape. He slowly relaxes as he recognizes that gentle face and sighs, letting go of his weapon.

“Sky?” he says, his voice rough.

Sky smiles sadly, and says, “Yeah, it’s me. You back?”

Twilight takes a shaky breath, rubs his face, then says, “Yeah, yeah.”

Sky looks relieved, then sits down beside him. He doesn’t say anything for a bit, which Twilight is grateful for, using the time to calm himself. ...He might not be getting any more sleep tonight. If that ends up being the case, he’ll probably just join watch. Once he feels ready, he says, “Thanks.”

Sky’s smile turns gentle as he says, “Yeah. It… didn’t seem very nice.”

Twilight chuckles and replies, “It wasn’t.”

“...Wanna talk about it?”

Sky’s giving him the choice, here, of just pretending nothing happened, or actually facing things. Some days, he’d gladly take the out. But this is Sky and he doesn’t think taking the out would be a good idea right now.

“...On my journey,” he starts, and Sky becomes more alert, turning to the rancher and giving him his full attention, “the children from my village and my childhood friend were all captured by monsters. It… took me a bit, to save them. Even then, they were traumatized and there was even one that was hurt and one who’d lost their memory.”

He can’t help but glance at Wild when he says this. He has two people now that he cares for who struggle with memory loss. And his heart aches so badly for them.

“I failed them more than once. And I don’t want to fail them again. It terrifies me and… I don’t know. Sometimes I don’t feel like I deserve being called a hero. I mean, I couldn’t even keep those close to me safe.”

Sky sighs, then places his hand on Twilights shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile as he says, “I’m sure they don’t feel that way. And knowing you, I’m certain you did everything in your power to take care of them. Sometimes, things can’t be helped. They just… happen.”

He pauses for a moment, looking downcast as he continues, “I failed to keep my Zelda from falling to the surface and facing terrible dangers. Does that make me a failure? Or less of a hero?”

“No-” Twilight says, but Sky interrupts him by continuing, “Sometimes, I feel the same. But if you can say that about me, and I can say that about you, then doesn’t that mean we both shouldn’t feel like that? That maybe, we really are heroes? At least, to those we care about most?”

Twilight mulls it over, but it honestly doesn’t take long before he’s reluctantly nodding and Sky is smiling, patting the ranch hand on the shoulder before pulling him hand back. They sit there for a moment more, then Sky goes to get up, probably to get back on watch.

“Thank you,” Twilight says as Sky is getting up, “Sun is lucky to have you.”

Sky blushes and ducks his head, then replies, “I think it’s the other way. I’m lucky to have her.”

Twilight chuckles, and Sky goes back to his post. Surprisingly, he is actually feeling sleepy again. And here he’d thought he might be joining the Chosen on watch. It seemed talking to Sky had been a pretty good idea.


	2. A Quiet Camaraderie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time has a nightmare. Sky can relate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday Teaj :D And thanks to my awesome co-authors for helping me get this presentable in time for Teaj's birthday. This chapter is attic's!

More often than not, when Time dreams, he is nine years old. Sometimes, he finds himself back home, in the Kokiri forest with Saria, Navi, and Mido. The rest of the Kokiri are there, too, sometimes, but they're faded and fuzzy. He can't quite remember the shape of Fado's nose or the precise lilt of the know-it-all-brothers' voices. Still, it's a brief reminder of the simpler days of Time's childhood. The days before the Hero, when he was simply Link. Those are the good dreams. Bittersweet, but happy memories. 

Other times, he’s lost. Sometimes he’s in the lost woods again, or in Castle Town, or the tight corridor of a dungeon. Always stumbling through the world inside a body that’s tight and chafing — almost claustrophobic. He sees the world from three feet off the ground and grips his sword with tiny, pudgy hands too soft for its hilt. Everything is the wrong size: trees stretch endlessly over his head, and doorframes either tower over his head or smack his face on the way through. Inside every bush and around every corner lurks a monster, waiting to snatch him up when he tries to run. Redeads and Gibdos and Stalfos stagger toward him, screaming, their arms outstretched to grab him. He only wakes when he’s finally caught.

Occasionally, he dreams that he is six _ teen _ years old. Apparently, an adult, but not quite feeling like one yet. He is large and gangly and feels too tall. He’s drowning in his own skin, swaddled in soft green fabric, faded and worn. In these dreams, he is nowhere, at least that he can see. It’s darker than the bottom of a well, obscuring his sight and leaving him helpless in the dark. He trips and tumbles and falls forward, marching ever onward through the inky blackness extending in all directions. He trudges on forever, growing more and more exhausted with each step, and yet always taking another, as if pulled by an invisible bridle. Eventually, he sees a speck of red in the distance. He continues, watching the red spot grow larger until he comes face to face with a mirror image of himself, with red eyes and ashy skin, who raises his blade. Time tries to reach for his sword, but his limbs are leaden and his eyelids heavy. He falls to his knees and wakes when his dark reflection cuts him down. 

His first thought when he wakes from either of these nightmares are the words of the Happy Mask Salesman echoing in his mind:

“You’ve met with a terrible fate, haven’t you?”   
  


Tonight, unfortunately, he’s said them aloud. Usually, this wouldn’t be a problem (Malon is used to his occasional nightmares) but right now he’s in the middle of the woods with one of his boys on watch, whom he’s sure he’s just scared half to death. 

He sits up and glances toward the fire. He was right — Sky is staring directly at him, clutching his chest as if his heart is racing.

“Sorry,” He says awkwardly, crawling out of his bedroll on all fours. Sky’s breathing seems to calm, and he relaxes his grip of the hilt of the Master Sword. Time goes to sit by the fire, next to Sky. 

Sky’s eyes follow him as he walks — not scared anymore, just worried. “Nightmare?” he asks, resuming the small wooden statue of Wolfie he was whittling before Time spooked him. 

“Yes,” Time says. “One of the more unfortunate side effects of our line of work.” 

Sky huffs a bitter laugh. It sounds foreign coming out of such a soft-spoken man. “Very much so,” he says. 

Time raises an eyebrow. “You get them too, then.” It’s not a surprise, although Time has never seen him show any signs of bad dreams. A thought occurs to him, and Time frowns. Perhaps nightmares are the reason Sky is so exhausted during the day. Time will have to keep a closer eye on him, perhaps ask the others if they had any remedies or techniques to keep those dreams at bay.

"Yes," Sky confirms, "I do. They’re… almost worse than experiencing it all for the first time. Because at least then, it ended. Nightmares… they just keep coming back. And my mind takes my memories and twists them, so they’re even worse than I remember.” 

With a heavy heart, Time nods in agreement. He wishes his boys hadn't been chosen for this wretched destiny, but he’s so unbelievably proud of their strength. It’s a confusing and tangled twister of emotions. 

“Still,” Sky continues, breaking Time out of his reverie, “When we're called upon to fight, we cannot refuse. No matter how much we have to sacrifice, we must protect the people of Hyrule."

Time narrows his eyes at the sword resting at Sky’s side, the goddess-blade faintly humming with energy even now, in the peace of the night. Sky catches his glance and smiles sadly.

“We fight, but not only because the goddess compels us,” he says. “It’s in our blood, our spirit. When help is needed, we cannot refuse — to do so would be against our very nature.” 

Time’s scowl does not disappear, but it softens. 

“Yes,” he admits, “I suppose you’re right. I wish none of us had undergone what we had to, but I know that not one among us could have stood by and done nothing as our homes were threatened. Maybe that’s the true curse of Demise you told us about — to always do good for the sake of others. And really, is it such a curse to do good?” 

A strangled laugh startles Time. Sky is smiling a twisted smile, staring off into space. 

“I guess I’ve never thought of it like that.” He says, misty-eyed and blinking hard. He’s quiet for a long time, then clears his throat roughly.

“Zelda — er, Sun — gets nightmares, too.” He says finally, thoroughly and suddenly changing the subject. The curse of Demise has always been a painful topic for him. “They’re so awful, but if I could take hers on myself, I would.” 

Closing his eye, Time nods. “We all want to ease the burdens of those we love,” he muses. “But unfortunately some burdens cannot be transferred. The best we can do is help each other in our waking hours. Just being there is one of the truest expressions of love.” Sky’s mouth pops into a little “o” when he catches Time’s double meaning. 

Time smiles, and says, “Thank you.”


	3. Plaqued by Past Regrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Past regrets come back to haunt our favorite Veteran.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so like, I think this chapter probably has the most angst out of all of the chapters. I don't know, this chapter just got away from me it seems when I was writing the nightmare. Warning for lots of blood and dead bodies. Hope you all enjoy!
> 
> Happy birthday Teaj! Have some angst!

He was running, He was running, they were chasing him. They were chasing him, through a forest. A dark dreary forest that was shrouded in so much darkness. That he couldn’t even see three feet ahead of him. That didn’t stop him from running like a madman through the forest. He was focused on getting away, he didn’t even take notice of how odd his running was, it was more like he was jumping at a fast-pace rather than running.

That didn’t matter though, what mattered was that he got from the people that were chasing after him. He could hear their footsteps and they’re yelling words that he wasn’t in the mindset to understand. His breathing was coming out heavy but sounded oddly muffled.

Then something dark and shadowy jumps out in front of him, causing a muffled gasp to rip itself from his throat as he falls backward. He moves to get back up onto his feet but that’s when he sees his arms were small, pink, and furry. He blinks as he stares at his arms, something about this wasn’t right. It didn’t feel right.

He blinked again and found himself standing in the middle of what looked to be his house. It was filled with water up to his waist. This was odd but that thought had disappeared when Link turned around and found Ravio standing in their doorway with his back towards Link. Disregarding the water, Link goes to call out to Ravio on instinct. But his voice couldn’t-wouldn’t go above a broken, muffled whisper. Bringing Link’s eyebrows to knit themselves together in confusion as he wasn’t getting any sort of reaction from Ravio either when he tried to call out to him.

Link blinks and the water goes from being a dark murky color he couldn't see through to dark red color, red that was so dark that it almost looked black. This causes a grimace to spread across Link's face as he realizes that he was standing waist-deep in blood. This causes disgust and panic to grow inside of him again as he tries to waddle through it. But no matter how hard he tries, the distance between him and Ravio never changes, he never gets closer or further away from Ravio. Even though he can feel himself moving through the thick sea of blood.

Once again, he tried to call out to Ravio but his voice still comes as a broken muffled whisper. Bringing him to taking a deep breath and trying again. But no matter how hard he tried to push himself to raise his voice, he couldn't. His voice wouldn't go any higher than a broken, muffled whisper, and not once, did Ravio show any reaction to Link. Not once did Ravio even move an inch this whole time.

Instead, Ravio continues to just stand there with his back towards Link, not moving a single inch,

_Why wasn’t Ravio helping him?_

_Why wasn’t Ravio acknowledging him?_

Something then touched his shoulder, causing Link to whip his head around, finding a woman standing behind him. There was something off about her face, but he completely looked past that when he recognized her long red hair that had a hibiscus pinned against some of her red hair.

“Mari-” That was when bodies started appearing around them, floating in the sea of blood that filled his house. Their faces were blurred out and yet he still recognized them as the villagers from the island, the island he had _destroyed_.

_This was all his fault, they were all dead because of him. This was all his fault, his fault, his fault his fault-_

Legend turned away from the sight, noticing how the sea of blood seemed to be up to his shoulders now. This only caused panic to fill him even more, but at the same time the emotion felt suppressed like it was struggling to boil over the surface. He stopped abruptly again when he found a figure standing taller than him, a figure he immediately recognized as his uncle. His looming figure made Link feel small like he was eleven years old again.

Then all of a sudden they were standing in the middle of his uncle’s apple orchard, the sea of blood was gone but the apple trees were burning, they lit up the sky with an orange and red glow.

Immediately, he starts apologizing to his uncle, for not being able to save him, for being declared a criminal, for destroying a whole island of innocent people. For killing his first love and for chasing off Ravio and not being able to let anyone in. For not being able to keep up with the apple orchard, his uncle’s pride and joy.

Then next thing he knew, there was nothing, everything was gone. Everyone was gone and he felt so _cold_ and _alone_. He doesn’t know how long he was like that for, all he knew that this is what he deserved as he laid there all curled up in the dark. Completely alone. This was all his fault, he deserved it.

Then he blinked again and found himself bolting upwards as he gasped for breath. His hands patted along the ground around him, his hand quickly coming upon the cold contact of the hilt of his sword. Tiredness weighed down on his eyes as he shook his head. He rubs the blurriness of his sight away.

When Legend took his hand away from his eyes, he could see that it was nighttime. He takes in the sound of the other Links snoring. He takes that moment to catch his breath before letting out a sigh as he takes in the sight of the campfire that was starting to die. After another moment, his eyes do a quick scan of the camp as he tries to gather his thoughts and push his latest nightmare to the back of his mind as he does with all of his other nightmares.

Only for him to come to a sudden stop when he realizes that there was no one on watch, causing his eyebrows to furrow in confusion as he tries to remember who was supposed to be on what watch. Only to realize that he had a second shift for that night but he doesn’t recall Time ever coming to wake him up and after looking around, Legend was able to easily pinpoint where Time was sleeping against a tree with his sword lay across his lap.

Legend pushes himself to his feet as he looks over the other Links with his sword in his hand, trying to see if anyone was missing-

“Legend?” Legend jumped as he whirled around, finding Sky standing behind him with some branches in his arms and a confused look on his face. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, why wasn’t I woken up for second shift?”

“Because I offered to take it instead after you fell asleep.” Sky stated as he dropped the branches into the dim fire, giving it more fuel to burn with a soft smile.

Legend frowns at that as he crosses his arms over his chest. “Why?” Legend asked sharply with narrowed eyes while Sky calmly took a seat on a log that was in front of the fire pit.

“Because you haven’t been getting a lot of sleep lately. I wanted you to get as much sleep as you could before it was interrupted by a nightmare.” Sky answers while Legend frowns only deepens.

“So you decided to go behind my back then and claim I’m too weak to be able to watch the camp!” Legend whispers harshly, bringing Sky to frown as he looks towards Legend. 

Sky studies Legend for a moment before he gives a small smile. “Do you really believe that Legend?” Legend’s eyes widen at that before he lets out a huff as he looks away.

The answer was no, Legend didn’t actually believe that. He knew that Sky was just looking out for him and must have noticed that this week was a particularly bad week where nightmares decided to plague Legend’s sleep. It didn’t help the nightmare he just had, had to be the worst one he has had this week so that put him on even more edge.

“Come on, you can sit next to me if you can’t sleep. We can keep watch together,” Sky tells him, bringing Legend to look up from where he was glaring at the ground. He hated how understanding Sky’s smile was so he avoids looking at Sky and focuses on his feet instead when he takes a seat next to Sky and lays his sword against the log.

With that, an awkward silence falls between the two of them. During this time, Legend glares into the fire. He bites the inside of his cheek when images of his nightmare flash before his eyes, trying to reel him back in. He pushed all of his regrets to the back of his mind as much as he could. Dwelling on them wasn’t going to do him any good.

“Do you...do you want to talk about them? Your nightmares I mean,” Sky spoke up after a few minutes bringing Legend to look up at Sky. Meeting Sky’s eyes, Legend felt like Sky could see right through him, it caused his muscles to stiffen with nerves. Reminding him that while Sky may be the most gentle and kind around here. That didn’t take away from how smart and observant Sky was. It was unsettling and Legend didn’t like how vulnerable it made him feel.

It was almost no better than being stuck in that stupid rabbit form again. Legend cringes at the thought as he remembers how he was in that form in his nightmare.

For the past week though, Legend hasn’t said a word about his nightmares to anyone, which just stands to prove how perceptive Sky is. He’s been focusing them on forcing all of the nightmares to the back of his mind but that hasn’t seemed to work this week like it usually does. It felt like all of his trauma decided to come slapping him in the face this time around.

Sky is the calmest and the least likely to tease him. Sky and Twilight did tease him a little bit about his bunny form but it was only light-hearted and not judgemental like he had been afraid he would get if any of the Links had learned about his dark world form.

Legend wasn’t even sure how to even begin describing this nightmare, the previous nightmares had already faded enough to where he could barely remember any details but his nightmares were always about the same thing so it’s not like that even mattered.

A part of Legend wanted to talk about it, to get it off his chest. Sometime after he had saved Lorule, Ravio was slowly able to get Legend to open up about his emotions which had helped Legend a lot more than he thought it would. Of course, he hasn’t seen Ravio for months now after getting dragged along onto this adventure and he hasn’t felt comfortable enough yet to let everything off of his chest to any of the Links. 

Legend looks over at Sky from the corner of his eye to see Sky attending to the fire with a small smile as he hums. Calm as always. “How are you always so calm and...at peace? I doubt you didn’t go through anything nightmarish during your journey.”

Sky blinks as he looks up at Legend with a thoughtful look. Only to shrug as he gives Legend a smile. “I guess I did and I don’t know. I’ve always been a rather calm and quiet person. Which did make me an easy target for bullies and sometimes I wish I would speak up and stand up for myself but it also didn’t feel like it was needed at the same time. I know who I am and what I’m capable of and that’s all there is to it. I think my adventure was probably the first time I actually stood up for something I believed in.”

“Hmmm.” This whole time, no matter how much they would tease Sky, he always took every joke with a smile and was always ready to stand tall on his feet against any foe they met. It made Legend wonder if they would ever see Sky lose his cool. He hoped not. He’s not sure if anyone would know what to do to see their calmest member finally lose his cool. “Well I’m sure as you can guess, I’ve seen a lot of shit during all of my adventures. Usually, when I get nightmares I would talk to a friend I made on one of my more recent adventures but obviously, they’re not here.”

“So without an outlet, it’s all been building up inside of you.” Sky says as he nods in understanding which Legend still found annoying in a way but was also somewhat thankful for it as much as he hated to admit it, “Well you can lay it all on me if you want to Legend. I won’t force it out of you, it’s your choice on what you want to talk about if you want to talk about it. I won’t tell another soul. I promise you that.”

Legend nods slowly as he begins to smile a little, “Thank you Sky, that...that means a lot to me.”

Sky smiles brightly at that, “It’s no problem Legend! You should smile more, it suits you better than that scowl that you always wear.”

Legend glares at Sky as he shoves at his shoulder. Bringing Sky to laugh while Legend fights to keep a smile down.

A moment like this was what Legend needed to get his thoughts in order so then he could get what he needed off of his chest. He doesn’t tell Sky everything, he’s not ready for that but it was nice finally being able to get some stuff off his chest with someone listening to him which made him realize how much he had missed Ravio.

He just hopes that Sky knows that he could always come to him if he ever needs anything.


	4. Silent Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Warriors' turn!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally told the others it would be really short, but the angst seemed to write itself! I love Warriors' as a character and would love to do more to explore his past in the future, but for now here's some hurt/comfort for the soul - Usagi
> 
> CW: blood and mentions of dead bodies

His blade was a blur of silver. 

Warriors twisted as he parried another club, movement swift and precise as he cut down enemy after enemy. They kept coming, like rats driven from their holes, but they were no match for the Hero. Hundreds, thousands, of monsters fell to his sword with each passing battle.

The sun set in a haze of crimson, setting fields of monster corpses alfame and bathing everything in its eerie glow. His allies surrounded him. Together they fought, carving a path through the battlefield with surprising ease. He grinned and ducked yet another club as he turned to call his friends to his side-

_ Clang! _

He froze as a familiar sound echoed across the battlefield. 

Metal on metal. Steel on steel.

_ Hyrulean  _ steel.

Warriors’ eyes widened as he saw the symbol emblazoned onto his enemy’s armour. His allies all stopped, like puppets with their strings cut. He could no longer hear the battle raging around him.

He could only stare as the crimson sun highlighted the Hylian Royal Crest in all its glory.

_ Traitor. _

The wind hissed at him, though no breeze had swept through the battlefield. It buzzed in his ears, curling around his senses as more and more voices joined in.

_ Kill him. (Traitor) _

_ He betrayed us. (Traitor) _

_ It’s your duty (Traitor) _

The Master Sword was numb in his hands. It shook against his ally’s- the  _ traitor’s  _ -own. His feet felt glued to the ground, sticky and slow, no matter how much his mind screamed at him to run. He didn’t want to see.  _ He didn’t want to see. _

_ Coward. _

The whispers hissed, but his throat felt full of sand. It choked any words of defence he might have; heavy and all-consuming. 

Silent.

_ You’re the Hero. _

_ He’s the traitor. _

_ Kill him. _

“No!”

The weight lifted as suddenly as it came and he yanked the sword away with a strangled cry. Stumbling back, he finally got a look at the treacherous knight’s face

Ice froze in his veins as familiar eyes glared back at him.

They stared at each other for a few long seconds. Then the traitor smirked with cruel satisfaction as their features began to shift and change into a completely different image.

“Stop…”

A baker’s son, who had joined the war effort so that his elderly father could live in peace.

( _ Traitor) _

A nobleman’s daughter who had something to prove.

_ (Traitor)  _

A simple farmer, who had volunteered for the army to protect his own land.

_ (Traitor) _

The shadows morphed again and again, each face sending spikes of guilt and horror through him. 

Green eyes, blue eyes, brown eyes, grey eyes-

So many, so different, yet alike in the hatred and disgust thrown his way.

He remembered each of them. He remembered how he failed them. He remembered how they died. 

_ Traitors. _

“Stop it!” This was a dream. It  _ had  _ to be a nightmare. He had… he had…

Bile rose in his throat and he clamped shaking hands to his mouth, willing himself to wake up. The whispers hissed at him still, howling and laughing as he fell to his knees, uncaring of the trembles that wracked his body. “Shut up!”

_ Kill them. Execute them. _

_ (Traitor.) _

Wet. It was wet.

Warriors’ eyes snapped open and stared in horror at the dark crimson seeping into his scarf. Blood covered his legs from where he was kneeling on the ground; sticky and thick and familiar. He was surrounded by broken bodies, each one bearing fatal wounds from a blade as precise as it was sharp.

A blade of heroes.

His blade.

“What’s wrong, my dear Hero?”

He spun around and felt the breath get knocked out of him as he saw  _ her  _ . Snow-white hair framed a deceptively soft face; sweetness betrayed by the cruel smile on her lips. She prowled forward like a predator, uncaring of the corpses she stepped over in her path.

In a blink she was in front of him.

_ Oh…uth..gu..ed…by… _

He jumped and tried to scramble away, but Cia’s claw-like grip clamped down on his arm. His other hand still held the Master Sword in its white knuckled grip. He couldn’t move it. He couldn’t  _ move. _

_..serva…f..god…ss _

“Oh my Hero, why so scared?” Cia leaned forward until she was inches from his face. Her lips twisted into a pleased grin as she watched his struggle. “Look around you!”

She grasped his face and forced his head to the side, at the broken bodies that littered the ground around them.

None were monsters. 

_ Unit…earth…and…sk… _

“Isn’t it beautiful?” He wanted to scream at her ‘no’, but the crimson sun had already scorched the horrifying imagine into his mind. “I always knew we were perfect for eachother!” 

Her words held some kind of weight, engulfing and choking him more than her body pressed against his. He gasped and struggled against it, desperate to get away.

_ Bring…light… _

For the first time he was aware of something other than hissing in his ears. What was it? A jumbled melody almost drowned by the whispers around him. 

_ To...land… _

“No!” The spell was broken and he swung the Master Sword with wild abandon. It swept through her form like smoke and Warriors was left panting alone on the stricken battlefield. “You’re wrong…” 

_ (Traitor) _

_ When darkness falls... _

He curled in on himself and wrapped his hands around his ears as if that could protect him from the truth. 

_ (Murderer) _

_ Goddess, guide you… _

The song fought against the hissing and howling in his ears. It was a familiar melody; gentle but powerful in its effect. He focussed all his attention on those notes that filtered from the sky.

He clung to them like a lifeline.

_ Ground, lead you… _

Willing them to save him from this hellscape. 

_ Hold your sword skyward… _

He opened his eyes.

A pale moon filtered through the treetops above him; bright and sending stark shadows across the peace of their camp. An owl hooted in the dark and mixed with Wind’s light snoring on the air. Someone shifted in their bedroll to his right, and when he turned he could just make out the bright pink of the veteran’s head. 

And someone was singing. 

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. His fingers ran absently through the slightly damp grass, and he let the sensation ground him back to the present. His heart beat a chorus in his chest, but with each note he could feel it calm a little more.

They weren’t at war anymore. He wasn’t on the battlefield. He was in camp. With allies, and friends, and-

_ They had once been friends too. _

His hand twitched for his sword. 

“It’s almost 3am. We came to Four’s world yesterday afternoon, and have made camp 5 hours from his Castletown.” The singing had stopped, but the sweet notes of Sky’s harp continued as it’s owner spoke. “I’ve been on watch for the past two hours. There hasn’t been any hint of monsters close by. We’re safe.” 

_ We’re safe. _

Warriors gripped onto Sky’s words and allowed them to orient him. The adrenaline in his body drained away, leaving only a bone-deep exhaustion in their wake. 

Sky was leaning against a fallen log by his head; close enough that the sail cloth had half-draped itself over Warriors’ arm. The Chosen Hero wasn’t looking at him, but instead gazing up at the stars with distant eyes. His fingers never faltered on the strings of his instrument. 

Warriors’ was grateful for his distraction. He didn’t think he could put up a front so soon after that horrible vision. Swallowing the sand from his throat, he propped himself up and searched the ground for his sword. He always slept with it by his side, even during peacetime. It was a habit he had picked up in his first months in the army, but after…

He couldn’t fall asleep without it close by. 

“Did it work?” Sky asked. Warriors sent him a confused glance. Sky smiled sheepishly and gestured to his harp. “I know you said not to wake you if you had another nightmare, but I thought....”

Sky trailed off and bit his lip, not quite looking him in the eye. Warriors knew what he was referring to. Wind had made the mistake of shaking him awake in the middle of one of his nightmares, and in Warriors’ adrenaline filled confusion had almost lost his head. If not for Time’s quick reflexes, they may have been down a hero. 

For days afterwards his night terrors had been replaced by new ones; Wind, wide eyed and bloodied on the end of his sword. There was a reason he slept alone.

He would rather suffer a thousand nightmares than risk hurting one of his allies. And yet-

“That was you playing?” It was a silly question, since Sky was still playing that same song even now. But the other simply smiled fondly at his instrument. 

“It’s Zelda’s favorite song. Even when I’m away from her, hearing it always seems to ease my worries.” The Chosen Hero stared at the harp from a few moments longer before blushing and turning away. “I was hoping it would feel the same for you, but thinking about it now that was pretty silly, huh?” 

Warriors thought back to his nightmare. The details were fading, but raw emotions still lingered in his chest. He remembered the song, how it drowned out the whispers and offered him a guide out of his dark imaginings.

For the first time since waking, Warriors felt a smile twitch at his lips. 

“Thank you.” 

Putting his sword back down, he shifted until he was sitting next to Sky. If the other noticed closeness or the fist bunched in the fabric of his sailcloth, he didn’t say anything. 

Warriors couldn’t tell how long they sat there for, but as sweet song notes mixed with the much less sweet snoring of their companions, he felt his muscles finally relax. As if sensing this, Sky shifted slightly next to him and he braced himself for the question that was sure to follow. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” 

He was reminded of the counsellors Zelda had brought in after the war. They were offered to anyone who might need them; to help come to terms with the horrors that war brings.

Even when he insisted he was fine, Zelda had given him a look and forced him to go along. He wasn’t fine, but no-one needed to know that. For all that he encouraged his own men to seek help, he couldn’t afford to get it himself.

He was the Hero. He was  _ supposed  _ to be okay. They all looked to him for guidance. 

He opened his mouth to tell Sky the same thing he told everyone, but stopped. Blue eyes bore into his with an understanding that made his heart clench.

Of course, Sky would know.

There was no pressure or judgement in the Chosen Hero’s gaze, and suddenly every flippant word dissolved on his tongue. 

“...Not tonight.” He finally said, voice lacking its usual bravado. He wasn’t okay, but he also wasn’t ready to share yet. But maybe-

Sky smiled softly and hummed in understanding, not pressing the issue or pressuring Warriors to talk.

-maybe he would be soon. 

For now, just sitting here with his ally beside him was enough. His brother in arms. At the very least, he thinks he could trust them to stand by him. That silent support bought him more comfort than a thousand platitudes ever could.

_ “Oh youth, guided by the servant of the Goddess…" _

He didn’t know how much time passed before he drifted away again; lulled into a dreamless sleep by a Goddess’s song and quiet companionship. 


	5. a windy day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wind's up!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> moon here, i wrote this chapter to be short and sweet, and it turned out pretty good? so yeah, happy (late now) birthday teaj!!

The world is collapsing.

He’s back at the final stage, waterfalls of what sealed old Hyrule away gushing down around him. The vengeful waters are closing in, water leaking onto the floor. 

Ganon is dead. The stone statue cracks. Snap, snap, snap, the dust of what once was an epic battle flying into the sea beyond.

It hurts. His hands are coated in red.

Sticky red that drips to the ground, turning black and disappearing into the gaps within the ground.

The world is collapsing.

She’s screaming too. Screaming in tandem with the seagulls circling above them, casting shadows against the dying sun through the ocean.

They’re cawing so loudly, whisking him back to the dreaded day where it all started.

So loud… 

Too many screams. The sounds of a shattered ship, creaking, destroyed by collateral damage, the yells of Tetra reach his ears.

He can’t move. 

Rooted to the middle as the world breaks around him, he laughs. The water’s up to his stomach.

_ “Big brother, help me!” _

Halves of a snapped telescope littered with glass float upwards.

The world is collapsing.

The Triforce is gone. The bubbles are gone. The water is at his chin. The pillars shatter.

The bits rain upon him and everyone else. Aryll is still screaming.

He can’t breathe. He chokes on the sea water and comes up for air. The bubbles are gone.

They’re all gone.

He can’t do anything. He’s not a hero. He’s a child. A child that stabbed a sword into Ganon’s face, dyeing the world in crimson.

The world is collapsing.

The water is bleeding. The Master Sword has crumbled into ashes. The grey floats upon the water with broken shells worth of memories.

His laughs are hysterical. The seagulls won’t shut up. The screaming is background noise, just as the birds swoop in, her panic ringing with his.

The world is--

“...Sailor?”

He cracks open his eyes, vision blurred with tears. He’s being shaken, and he blinks, one two three. The tears slip down his cheeks, and he sees Sky.

“Eh…? What’s wrong?” His voice is small, hoarse. He rubs his eyes and sits up, shaking his head. “Did I miss sumthin’…?”

The older hero shakes his head, getting his legs into criss-cross and giving a half hearted chuckle. “No, no. You were tossing and turning, so I thought I should wake you.”

“Oh…” He scratches the back of his head apologetically.

Sky smiles gently, patting the younger boy’s head, eliciting a yelp of indignance. “You had a bad dream?”

Wind looks away. “No,” he lies, although he can’t suppress a shudder from the vivity of the dream. “I’m fine.”

A frown appears on Sky’s face. “You don’t have to hide anything,” he says softly, although his voice is deafeningly loud within the chimes of the crickets. “I’m here to listen.”

“I said I’m fine,” Wind snaps, rubbing his eyes. “Really, it’s…” Not fine, he wants to continue, but he keeps his mouth clamped shut. He doesn’t need to talk about it.

There’s a beat of awkward silence. “...You know,” Sky says hesitantly, scooting a little closer, “I may not be the best advice-giver or listener, but… it’s not healthy to bottle things up.”

Wind shrugs. “It’s not a big deal.”

“You were sobbing hysterically.”

“It’s not a big deal,” he grinds out, although he catches himself. “It’s just… it’s normal. I’m fine.”

Sky raises an eyebrow. “That’s not a good thing, sailor. You’re tough, but you’re still a kid.”

“I’m just as much of a hero as you guys!” Wind retorts instantly, his eyes narrowing into a glare. “I don’t  _ need _ your help!” 

And yet he’s on the verge of tears, his rage melting into sorrow. He’s wrong, isn’t he? He’s always wrong, he’s just a kid. Sky would know better.

He can’t do anything right, ever. He’s just as helpless as when the water reached his chin, as the hands of the damned grabbed his ankles and kept him rooted.

He sniffs and squeezes his eyes shut, keeping the tears at bay. He won’t cry.

“Look, sailor,” Sky says, his words carefully neutral, a sentiment that Wind doesn’t quite appreciate, “you’re strong, and I understand.”

“So why won’t you just leave me alone?”

“Because I care about you.” Something about the words strikes a chord. “I care and I want to listen to you, and I want to help make you feel better.”

The words are blunt, but that and Sky pulling him into a one armed hug is enough for him to break, words spilling out of him in a tidal wave he can’t control.

The tears flow no matter how hard he tries to stop it. Of course they do. It’s pathetic, almost.

The nightmare comes tumbling out, his heart pouring into the open under the light of the glowing moon. Sky just listens quietly through it all, nodding, a quiet pillar of strength he needs.

Wind can’t help but wonder when that pillar will shatter too.

He takes a deep, steady breath at the end. “I don’t know if I’m okay,” he mumbles, wiping his eyes and trying to get a grip. 

“I don’t think any of us know that,” Sky responds, unfastening his sailcloth and staring at the jewel for a second. “I personally don’t know that. We’re messed up in our own ways, y’know?”

“...Yeah,” Wind sighs, although the agreement is bitter.

Sky hums, turning his gaze to the night sky. “Well,” he exhales, “if it’s not okay now, it’ll just get better, alright?” He chuckles a little. “As long as you keep living, happiness will come to you.”

“That sounds so old fashioned,” Wind says, although he gives a short laugh.

The older hero gives a cheeky grin. “This old man is gonna teach you a thing or two,” he jokes, side eyeing the younger boy. “Anyways, it’s late, and it’s still the middle of my shift. You should go back to sleep.”

“I can keep you company--!”

Shaking his head, Sky pushes Wind down gently. “You need all the rest you can get, especially with that dream of yours,” he says, his look darkening when the younger hero opens his mouth to protest. “Go to sleep, I’ll head out after.”

Huffing, Wind rolls his eyes but begins to nod off anyways. Must’ve been more tired than he thought… 

His eyes slide shut, and there’s the unmistakable feel of a blanket draping over him before he passes out, a dreamless sleep taking over him.

(The next morning he wakes up under a white cloth with blue stitching. He smiles at the notion.

“Thank you,” he says later that day, the dream crumbling into dust and falling away to the forgotten seas.)


End file.
